Eight top tips we learnt from Madeleine Shaw

Nutrition newbie? Don’t know your rocket from a plug socket? Brace yourself- we’ve done all the legwork and gathered the top tips and tricks from lifestyle and fitness extraordinaire Madeleine Shaw. Worth listening to? As the Queen of clean eating, we’d say so. Not only was her latest book ‘Get the Glow’ number one on Amazon for quite some time but her famous blog pulls in hundreds of thousands of visits every day. Lacking the motivation to down that cookie and join that terrifying place known as the gym? Get ready- we’re pretty sure you’ll be swapping your cheeky Nando’s for a fresh avocado sharpish…

Madeleine Shaw’s top nutrition tips

Strong is the new skinny

“People are changing their perceptions on how they want to look. Before it was so good to look like Kate Moss- skinny and as if you’ve just had a massive night out whereas now people are really wanting to look healthy and strong.”

Red bull does not give you wings

“If you’re feeling sluggish and tired, your skin’s not looking the best and you’re eating a load of rubbish then there are ways of changing that. Red Bull might boost your energy for twenty minutes but it’s not going to be consistent. If you start eating well it changes how you feel so much.”

Inspirational Aussies

“In Australia they’re not actively trying to be healthy, it’s just their outlook. Fresh meat, good veg and everything cooked from scratch; it’s got a wholesome kind of feel to it. The weather is good, there’s a beach, and you are inspired to wake up in the morning. Health is part of their culture.”

Made in Chelsea? More like Made by Madeleine Shaw…

“Millie’s [MIC star and Professor Greens wondrous wife] is such a carb lover, so switching to things like rye bread are a really good substitute for her. I think everyone, not just her, is so used to carb heavy diets. We look for the carb in every meal! It’s good to have a substitute that’s got that veggie goodness and lots of nutrition packed into it.”

How to get bikini ready? Beat the bloat

“My first tip would probably be to eat bitter vegetables; things like rocket, watercress and fennel. They act like little teeth in your stomach, breaking things down. Also take probiotics which are really rich in hormone beneficial bacteria that again will reduce that bloating. Another tip would be to chew your food. Most of us grab a sandwich and eat it as we run to another meeting- we don’t actually chew our food.”

A belly breath a day keeps the doctor away

“A lot of tension in our tummies is to do with stress. We get that gut feeling or butterflies in our stomach which is so interconnected to our thoughts and feelings. Relaxing, closing your eyes and taking some deep belly breaths will really help calm your nervous system and settle your stomach.”

No raw after four

“Don’t snack on lots of raw vegetables in the evening. Obviously you can have a little bit but have most of your food cooked because it’s much easier to break down in the digestive system. Stick to your big raw salads at lunch time then in the evening turn up the heat and cook them all down.”